Oil Reserve: Some Concerns Remain About SPR Drawdown and Distribution
Abstract
The current crisis in the Persian Gulf has brought renewed attention to the role of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in mitigating the effects of an oil supply disruption. The SPR provides insurance against future oil supply interruptions and the impact of such interruptions on the nation's economy. To provide this protection, however, DOE must be able to offset the supplies lost by quickly drawing down SPR oil from its storage sites and distributing it to purchasers. At the request of the Chairman of the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the House Committee on Government Operations, GAO examined DOE's SPR drawdown plans. Specifically, GAO was asked to (1) review DOE's current and planned capability for removing the oil from SPR sites and getting it to users through oil distribution networks, (2) examine the SPR's compliance with pipeline safety requirements, and (3) determine the status of DOE actions to correct problems GAO had previously reported
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA267346
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office